State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2016 - Case study: Tanzania's Maasai and their loss of land, culture and heritage

The culture of the pastoralist Maasai community residing in Mondorosi, Soitsambu and Sukenya villages of Loliondo district in northern Tanzania is rich in inherited traditions and social practices. Indigenous to the area, they have a strong sense of identity and spiritual attachment to their ancestral land. However, the establishment of wildlife conservation areas and tourist safaris has resulted in severe disruption to their way of life. Now, the community's struggle to maintain a connection with their land continues amid legal battles, aggressive globalization and luxury tourism.

Pastoralism is part and parcel of their semi-nomadic way of life, but land alienation directly affects their ability to raise livestock and earn a precarious living. Cattle play a central role in Maasai customs as a measure of wealth and are frequently exchanged between friends, family and in marriage ceremonies. The land designated for conservation in their territory, from which they have been evicted and are no longer able to access, tends to be the most fertile areas for grazing livestock. They are also unable to access important water sources and plants to create traditional medicines and treat diseases. The fact that they cannot utilize their medicinal practices means that this aspect of their cultural knowledge may disappear.

Maasai have had ongoing land disputes with the Tanzanian government for over 30 years. In the 1980s, 10,000 acres of Maasai pastoral land was sold to Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL) to cultivate wheat and barley. Although the Maasai villages were offered no compensation and were not consulted regarding the land transfer, they were not prohibited from accessing most of the land to graze and water their livestock as TBL only used around 700 acres for cultivation. For 19 years the arrangement continued and the Maasai community retained its customary ownership of the land. This situation ended in 2006, when TBL sold the entire acreage plus an additional 2,617 acres to Tanzania Conservation Limited (TCL), the Tanzanian subsidiary of US-based tourism company Thomson Safaris.

Since that time, the community has been denied access to over 12,000 acres of land on which they have historically grazed their cattle and sustained their traditional livelihood. With international support, the Maasai villages initiated legal proceedings in 2010 based on an adverse possession land claim in domestic courts against TBL and TCL. Not only did they seek to reclaim the land they once held, they also sought an injunction against land development for tourism pending the court's decision on the merits. Unfortunately the Maasai's application was dismissed on procedural grounds in 2013, but the community re-lodged their case the same year, requesting the court to revoke the tourism company's illegally granted land title and award damages for the suffering endured as a result of their land exclusion.

The case was pending until October 2015 when the Maasai community suffered a disappointing loss. Although the Arusha High Court acknowledged that 2,617 acres of the disputed land were indeed unlawfully acquired – it being added on to the 10,000 acres in the most recent land transaction without consent – the majority of the decision favoured the defendants. No actual damages were awarded to the Maasai, who remain prohibited from entering the land to use its resources. The villagers are appealing the decision and hope to resolve this dispute in their favour.

In the meantime, Maasai continue to suffer the effect of discriminatory state policies. Elsewhere in Loliondo, the community experienced further evictions, with dozens of homes burned to the ground and numerous Maasai injured by Tanzanian police during 2015. Alongside the loss of homes and livelihoods, the struggle to transmit the intangible aspects of cultural knowledge and sacred practices to younger generations remains a very real concern – not only in Loliondo, but right across Maasai territories in Kenya and Tanzania.

And while the Maasai people's identity is under increasing threat, companies have been profiting from Maasai imagery by associating their products with the indigenous community to promote sales. From Land Rover to Louis Vuitton, an estimated 80 companies are currently using the Maasai name and/or imagery. Maasai receive no benefit from the millions of dollars in revenue earned from this exploitation; the vast majority live below the poverty line. Furthermore, the unique visual artistry and heritage of Maasai is often misused in its commercialization: for example, Maasai are sensitive about the portrayal of their bodies and jewellery because beads and colours have distinct meanings, which, if portrayed inaccurately, can be deeply offensive. Over the last few years, Maasai activists have made efforts to form a general assembly of elders to represent them in formal negotiations with such companies in order to safeguard their culture through intellectual property protections – an important step in the community's efforts to regain control of their lives.

Minority Rights Group International, State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2016 - Case study: Tanzania's Maasai and their loss of land, culture and heritage, 12 July 2016, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/57960805a.html [accessed 25 July 2016]

Hair products aren't at the top of most people's health worry list, but the Food and Drug Administration is investigating a surprisingly high number of reports of problems after people used a particular cleansing conditioner.

As of July 7, the FDA had received 127 complaints of "hair loss, hair breakage, balding, itching, and rash" after people used WEN by Chaz Dean cleansing conditioner products — more reports than the agency has ever received for a cosmetic hair product.

"This kind of report is very rare," says Paradi Mirmirani, a dermatologist in Vallejo, Calif. "For the most part, shampoo products out there are all very safe." The agency'ssafety alert says it has not determined a possible cause for the problems reported.

Late last year, mediation began for a class-action lawsuit in California against Guthy-Renker, the company that markets and manufactures WEN.

The FDA doesn't approve cosmetics before they go on the market, though it does set upper limits for bacteria in cosmetics and hygiene products. Instead, says Linda Katz, director of the FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors, the agency monitors consumer complaints for many factors to decide whether to investigate a product.

In this case, the sheer number of complaints played a role in the decision. The agency says it is investigating more than 21,000 complaints reported to Chaz Dean Inc. and Guthy-Renker. (Gianna Cesa, a PR representative for Chaz Dean, says the company did not receive this number of complaints.)

Dar es Salaam. Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu yesterday came out to the public to clarify the directive she issued earlier on the distribution of lubricants to gay men, The CITIZEN reports.

She said the ban on the lubricants was only specific for the NGOs that were importing and supplying them to gay men. She declined to mention the names of the NGOs involved in that, when asked by The Citizen. “I have not banned the use of the lubricants in the country [for other purposes],’’ wrote Ms Mwalimu on her official Facebook page, noting that a section of the media had misled the public about the matter.

She later told The Citizen that the government has already embarked on plans to scrap off sections in some HIV treatment guidelines that allowed provision of the lubricants to MSM in the country.

The guidelines say, “Lack of access to appropriate lubricants and violence against sex workers all have close links to higher prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections.’’

She said that the NGOs were now using the guidelines as justification for distributing lubricants to many youth in regions across the country. She noted that the provision of the use of the jelly was fueling the spread of HIV among the youth.

“One of the leading NGOs has heeded the directive and it has reported to me. And many others will follow suit. Next week, I’ll carry out an inspection to confirm if indeed they stopped supplying the lubricants,’’ she told The Citizen.

A Dar-based study revealed two years ago that the prevalence of HIV among men who have sex with men was 42 pe rcent, compared to other high risk groups. Among the people who inject drugs, the prevalence was 51 per cent; among sex workers, it was 31 per cent.

The WHO warned two years ago that failure to provide ample HIV services for key groups—such as gays and sex workers threatened global progress in the HIV fight.

The Minister, however, said the guidelines issued on dealing with HIV among such groups in Tanzania have been misguided by allowing the component of promoting the use of lubricants.

She said her docket was keen on some of the services that would conflict with Tanzanian cultural norms.

Early this month, the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Mr Paul Makonda, announced a major crackdown against gay people and this was followed by arrests of suspected gay men in clubs

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jul 25, 2016) - Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced today that the Government of Tanzania has signed a firm purchase agreement for two Q400 turboprop airliners. The aircraft will be delivered with a 76-seat, dual-lavatory configuration and will be used for commercial airline operations in the region.

Based on the list price of the Q400 airliner, the firm order is valued at approximately US $62 million.

"Our Q400 aircraft will provide affordable, convenient and comfortable air transport solutions," said Dr. Leonard Chamuriho, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Works and Communication, Tanzania. "We are committed to providing state-of-the-art service to our passengers and are keen to expand further as our business grows to include new destinations in Tanzania and the African region.

"Tanzania is a large country with some challenging airfields, and the Q400 turboprop's capability to operate at these airports, its jet-like speed, long-range cruise capability and outstanding turboprop economics were key factors that guided us in selecting the aircraft for our operations," added Dr. Chamuriho. "The level of in-continent support that Bombardier offers is also very important for us."

"This transaction not only solidifies the relationship between the Government of Tanzania, and Bombardier, but also reaffirms Africa as one of the most prolific Q400 aircraft markets. The Q400 aircraft is a showcase for the continent, where it has proved itself to be extremely efficient as well as cost-effective," said Jean-Paul Boutibou, Vice President, Sales - Middle East and Africa, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

Bombardier's Dash 8/Q-Series turboprops and CRJ Series regional jets have made significant advances in Africa where approximately 160 aircraft - including more than 50 Q400 turboprops -- are in service with, or ordered by, approximately 40 customers and operators.

Bombardier's customer support network for commercial aircraft in Africa includes a Regional Support Office (RSO) and spare parts depot, co-located in Johannesburg, South Africa as well as Authorized Service Facilities in South Africa and Ethiopia. Operating from the company's regional office located in the United Arab Emirates, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft's sales and marketing team is well positioned to provide industry-leading solutions to its current and prospective customers.

About the Q400 Aircraft

Designed as a modern, 21st-century turboprop, the Q400 aircraft is the most recent development in the Q Series family of aircraft. It provides unmatched performance, operational flexibility and passenger comfort. In addition to the standard single-class configuration, Q400 aircraft are available with an optional dual-class interior for enhanced passenger comfort; in an optional extra-capacity configuration offering up to 90 seats for higher-density markets; and in a cargo-passenger combi configuration.

Thanks to its combination of turboprop attributes, jet-like features, industry-leading passenger experience and environmental footprint, the Q400 aircraft is exceptionally versatile and can be adapted to a variety of business models. By offering a 30 per cent reduction in fuel burn over the jets it often replaces, the Q400 aircraft radically reduces carbon emissions and increases cost efficiency. Its high-speed cruise -- 160 km/h faster than conventional turboprops -- places the aircraft's flight time within minutes of jet schedules, at the same seat cost as larger single-aisle jets. Its large propellers operate at a lower RPM, generating more power with less noise and making it a friendly option for city centres.

The Q400 aircraft family includes over 60 owners and operators in almost 40 countries. The worldwide fleet has logged more than 6.9 million flight hours and has transported more than 429 million passengers. Long recognized as a high-value asset by operators, the Q400 aircraft is now also attracting growing interest from the leasing community.

Bombardier has recorded firm orders for a total of 564 Q400 aircraft.

About Bombardier

Bombardier is the world's leading manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation.

Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, we posted revenues of $18.2 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier

The above news release has been provided by the above company via the OTC Disclosure and News Service. Issuers of news releases and not OTC Markets Group Inc. are solely responsible for the accuracy of such news releases.

Claremont Evaluation Center's Professional Development Workshop Series in Evaluation and Applied Research Methods

2016 Workshops from August 18th through August 23rd

Scholarships Available

The Claremont Evaluation Center and EvalPartners, with financial support from The Rockefeller Foundation, are proud to announce the creation of a scholarship fund to financially support evaluators working in, or originally from, a country located in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, or East and Central Europe (non EU countries), and the Middle East to attend the on-line 2016 Professional Development Workshop Series on Evaluation and Applied Research Methods to be held on 18 - 23 August 2016.

Available to attendees from across the world via Online Classroom, the 2016 series includes 23 one-day workshops for you to choose from, each one taught by leading experts in the field.

If you working in, or are originally from a country located in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, or East and Central Europe (non EU countries), we invite you to send your scholarship application to [email protected]. The last day for submitting applications is 8/12/16.